What is love to us?
by Blazeraptor54
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki has been training for two, and half years with Jiraiya. He has begun to start his journey back home, being left alone for just a day. He starts looking towards all of his logs about bounties, and finds one on some bandits, but little did he know taking such a bounty would effect more than just his wallet. In fact, it could just turn his future on it's head.


_**What is love to us?**_

_**Chapter one: Bounties, and free days.**_

_**This story is dedicated to a good friend of mine.**_

**?**

I may not know many things, but I know what love is. It's the thing that binds us all together, like some weird glue, ya know. I know that it must be nice to feel it, you know from like a girl. The thing called "romance," I heard it's pretty great.

I've been traveling with Jiraiya-sensei for about two, and half years now. Him, and I were just entering Takigakure. A land where I once visited, and arguably my favorite place in the world. It's beauty was something behold, and I've always wanted to come back here.

If not, just to at least pass by it for a few days. I doubt we'd go into the village here for training, but you never know. My sensei was always random in methods, and such. But, I got stronger, and faster. I don't feel really smarter however, but I got some new handy jutsu.

I even studied under some traveling medical shinobi for a few weeks. So I got some basic healing jutsu in my handbook to rely on. I really can't wait to write it down, maybe give it to Konohamaru. Ya know, I wondered if he ever got rid of that scarf..guess I'll be finding out in about six months, or so.

Though this journey has not all been sunshine, and rainbows. I did make friends, only for them to die. They gave their lives to help me, one even to save me. You never know it, but being saved can make a person feel really, really guilty.

I guess, this is my story though. I just need to find a way to make it a happy ending. For my training is almost done, and I need to struggle even further. I can feel something inside of me boiling for release, like some power other than the Kyuubi.

I am Uzumaki Naruto, and I will be the best there is!

_**Inside the land of waterfalls, a few dozen miles from Takigakure. **_

"Do you even know yourself!" Naruto sang out, he had headphones inside his ears. A gift from Jiraiya, who had decided to go off on his for a little 'research.' The gift was actually two part, Naruto got something to do while he was gone, besides train, and it introduced the once virgin ears of the young lad to music.

Naruto had one headphone out on his right ear, he had chakra focused into that one. Just in case someone wanted to sneak up towards him. "Are any of only monks, or demons!" He continued, banging his slightly to the rock, and roll.

He made it to a stream, there he began to walk across it. He sent chakra pulses into the water, feeling all the life around him. A trick that Jiraiya had taught him, it was indeed a very unique trick as well.

For it allowed the blonde hero to detect many thing, enemies, and other things. He used though to feel the life around him, he felt life inside the water. It was pristine, it was clean. He felt the life on the ground, it was frolicking season. So he chose not focus on their signatures, and then he felt the ones that were raised in the wind.

He whistled to the winds, to get a response from the birds above him. A wind gust made his longer blonde hair wave slightly, he began walking up a tree. He was having such a beautiful day, nothing was gonna bring this ride to a stop.

He ended upside down, he stayed like that, observing as a hummingbird flew in front of his face. Naruto looked at the bird smiling, giving it a wave. Only to feel it peck at his hair, he left slightly, since it sort of tickled to him. He took out his head phones, his left ear adjusting to the sudden loss of volume.

"Man, this day is perfect, not a damn thing to do! I so needed this, seriously training for three straight months, for this one day...worth it!" He coined, only to make the bird fly off. He looked a little saddened, but he just shrugged, and his thought returned back to the stream he was just at.

He felt the summer's heat now, he smiled, and slowly came off the tree. Flipping forwards to land on his feet, he walked back towards the stream. Finding a good rock, he took of his shirt. Now Naruto was not buffed up, nor was he flimsy in anyway.

He had no six pack, but he a gracious two pack coming along. He had a good amount of muscle mass along his arms, and calves. So he was built well for his age, he slid off his pants, and then entered the water. He had brought swimming trunks for the occasion.

He found the stream was deep after a certain point, so he decided to dive into it. He looked underwater, and found there was many trout for this time of year, Takigakure was truly a lucky village. Since Konoha never really had a big river near it, and to go to the bigger ones. Naruto had to run the risk of getting caught sneaking out.

Which would be fine, if he was any other shinobi, except he was not any other shinobi. He was a Jinchuuriki, a human container for massive beasts, known as the Bijuu. He had only recently learned the term that described his yilk.

But, he took it in with pride, cause this made him a hero every single day. He kept the fox at bay, he never realized how strong the human body must be, until a medical told him the prime things to be a good choice for Jinchuuriki.

He had to have strong will, check.  
He had to have strong chakra, double check.  
He had to have love inside his hear, check.

He had to blessed by luck and gods, check-ish

To even recall if it was the will of any god that brought Naruto here, for the teen himself would be hard to imagine. Since everything that has happen to him, boiled down to the sunny side of luck. He was lucky, hell, to survive this long? Luck, he had been stabbed in the chest, had been knocked into a whirlpool.

Still he came out on top, even facing the Akatsuki, and he even got lucky enough to bag a kill off one of the bastards. The kill he got was simply a lower rank member, by the name Zanko. He had blood draining effects, so Naruto found that out, cause you know luck.

Naruto ended that fight when the man tried to bite him, he gave him something to bite, a one good sized Rasangan. Naruto had never really been much for killing, but hearing that man brag all about his kills. It made him feel good inside to know that the man was gone for good. So with these thoughts clouding his mind, he came back to the surface.

He had a large trout in his hands, his plans was to make supper out of it. If he got the chance, but the fish slapped him with it's large tail. Getting away, Naruto just sighed slightly but smiled. He gave the fish the finger, and went back under the water.

This time he let his other sides instinct guide him, he came upon another large trout. Not taking chances he grabbed it, along with biting it. He swam back to the surface "Whmmoouu!" He shouted, fish still in his mouth. He swam towards the shore line, and came up muddy.

He put the fish down, forming a clone to hold it down as he formed others to get some firewood. "Hey boss, this looks tasty!" One of the clones answered, Naruto smiled. He had often consulted with his clones, his way of having people to talk to over their journey besides Jiraiya.

If you could say it was creepy, it really was not. He had even had some transform into to Sakura, so he could practice talking to her. It was sort of like the mirror trick, except a more realistic touch up from the classic.

"Thanks man, hey so I need to ask you a favor." The clone looked at his boss, and nodded. Naruto handed him some letters, "could you take these to the postal building way back, I forgot to deliver them." The clone gave him a salute, and with a blur of speed he was gone.

Naruto unraveled a scroll on the ground, and he slammed his hand on it. Out of the smoke appeared his birthday gift from last year, a guitar that Jiraiya had gotten him along with the head phones. The world of music has done wonders for Naruto, since he could relieve himself. The old way involved him punching something over, and over. Then the hospital trip came, over, and over.

"Yo guys boss is about play!" One clone shouted, he had just finished getting the firewood. The other ones had dug the fire pit, and put some rocks around it. They did so in quick fashion, Naruto knew that he himself liked the music he played.

"**Dun-dudu-dundun."**

So he'd practice around himself...literally, if he was to be any good for the time he decided to enter competitions. Since when he got back, he would be strapped for a little bit of cash. So this would be his go to way of making it.

Naruto strummed the flamenco guitar slightly, playing it in the fashion of the Iwa guitarist had showed him. Quick notes, almost romanticize the strings with touch. Soon he began to get quick notes out, playing it in a rapid fashion.

"**Danana-dana-nananananaanaa-dunanaanana"**

He stopped slightly, traveling his finger up the top strings. Making the note screech slightly, and then he looked at his clones. "Hey guys, what do you think so far." The clones smiled, and clapped for their boss. If they hated, oh they'd let him know, since at one point they fought to see who the real Naruto was.

Naruto stared the guitar back up again. "When the sun falls towards the ground, and the night comes without sound. Behold the darken clouds of the red moon are abound" Naruto started singing, making another long note with middle string, and he rapidly strummed the guitar again.

"The demon rises within us all, history repeats itself once more, no more no more." Naruto stopped singing, and rapidly strummed the guitar in rhythm. The young blonde then rapidly stroked the strings, faster, and faster. The clones watched as the boys fingers turned red, then the song came to the sudden end. "Su, su all heroes in the sky, su into the clouds. Fight for your country, fight for the will you hold inside thy hearts!"

"For the red moon comes, when the sun falls down. I'll be there standing my ground, have su above the clouds, send me to heaven. Or, leave down here on earth. I'll be here to show my worth, so when the red moon comes, and the sun falls down. Be there with me into the shadows abound." Naruto rhymed, matching the song with the guitar strums, and and slowly he turned it to a much a high pitch.

"**Da-da-da nananana-dadadadada-nana-nana-dadana-na-an-nanananana-baananaa-nanan. Nananananana, danananananana. Dum dum dum du dududududud." **The guitar was made to speak as Naruto moved his hand rapidly about, the clones set fire to the fish as he did this.

"Come history repeats itself, the red moons rises, and sun shall fall. The wyrm comes, so please help raise back the sun. Guide to heaven when I'm done, please help me su across the sky. For the red moon comes when the sun falls down, I'll be here standing our grounds." Naruto sang louder, and louder.

"Su all heroes towards the sky, defend thy homeland, so the children mustn't di-ya-ya-e" The blonde stopped the strumming of his guitar, and he stopped the music. He took a deep breath, before finishing the song. "So when the sun falls down, the night comes without sound, red moons rises. So let su across the skies...defending all whom we shall give up our lives for."

The clones give a cheer, "boss that's awesome, dude seriously Sakura is gonna love it!" Naruto smiled at his clones applause, and resealed the guitar, so no damage could come to it. He looked at the fish which was slowly becoming more, and more cooked.

He unraveled a scroll, and inside of it was massive amount of bounty notices. He looked through them, if he had the day off, he could read over any inside the region. The young ninja skimmed through them, trying to see if any of them were near the Kenshi region of Waterfall.

He spotted some of the posters, and read over them.

"_Name: Nagase Kei  
Known aliases: The flying claw of the black sparrow.  
Gang affiliation: black sparrow._

_Wanted for thievery, assault, and kidnapping. _

_Conditions of bounty: Must be brought in alive, or in need of medical care._

_Bounty worth: two thousand Ryo" _

Naruto nodded, her picture was really unique to the region. She'd be easy to spot, but the low price made the blonde if it'd be worth the trouble. Also wasting his free day was not on his agenda. So he pulled out a multistage portfolio of a gang bounty, and looked at it.

"_The red arrow._

_Known region of operation: Kenshi_

_Notable members: Sazu Muratama, Jinaza, Jigoku, and Hikai._

_Base of operations: Forests of Kenshi, near the heart stream._

_Wanted for: Murder, rape, killing of children, abandonment of duty to the following villages. Iwa, Kumo, Taki, and Taki._

_conditions to bounty: None, bring in dead or alive._

_Bounty worth: Forty thousand on Hikai's head, three hundred thousand on Sazu's head, seven thousand on Jinaza's head, and seventy thousand on Jigoku's head._

_Total bounty: four-hundred forty, seven thousand ryo._

_*Bounty subject to increase*" _

Naruto looked at the bridge across from him, and narrowed his eyes. The sign made Naruto eyes widen with glee, and he had known luck held special love for him that day. For he had just set up where the bandits normally operated at, and so without waste of time he packed up the files.

He got out some scrolls, and unrolled them. He slammed his hand on them, revealing a fox mask, a set of flak jackets, and utility belt. He took off his normal clothing, and got into his battle clothing. Putting the flak jacket up over his black shirt.

He picked up his headband which he kept in a special scroll until he got into Konoha, and also took careful note to attach the sheath to a tanto he had gotten from Kakashi to the back of his flak jacket. Naruto had little training in Kenjutsu, but that made him a bigger threat than normal.

Kenjutsu is uniform, anything out of it is an anomaly. Which meant unpredictable, Naruto has always keyed on that little word for years now, and it has worked for some so far. He put the hand guards on, and looked into the water. "Alright let's go get us a bounty!" His clones shouted, transforming to match their boss.

Naruto dashed towards the forest, his right hand trailing behind him. Ready to grab the tanto in a moments notice, just in case.

_**Inside the Taki region of Kenshi's forest.**_

Naruto had followed the scent of several people, they were traveling together. But, he had caught the scent of one lagging behind, his instincts were kicking in. He knew the critical advantage they had, if had attacked from the front.

The lagging enemy would encircle him, thus leaving no escape route, if things ever got dodgy. Naruto slowly sent a chakra pulse, and extended its range. He knew if they felt his pulse, then they'd most likely come to him.

So he waited, but something was weird in what he felt. The lagging bandit was actual leading them alone, he took out some wire. Slowly wrapping it along the ground, and hiding it under leaves he quickly, with the help of clones plucked off the trees.

He got them the higher elevation of course, not wanting them to notice anything amiss. If all worked well, like him finding out this bounty, he'd be rolling inside the money so to be speak. And, Jiraiya would never know a thing, it was the absolute perfect plan.

Hell, he'd take Sakura on a grand date with it. She deserved that much in his mind, so he waited. Like foxes stalking prey, waiting, with wire in his hand. The traps also set up, and each holding three needles.

**Tap, tap, tap.**

He heard footsteps, the Kyuubi was helping his hearing increase. His muscles tighten, the young lads body slowly felt as if it was spring. No sooner would he pull the wire, would he have them. Then he just needed to knock them out, tie them up, and have his clones carry them into Takigakure.

**Tap, scrunch, tap, tap.**

He heard the footsteps normally now, _"Get'em!" _Naruto smiled, it had worked. He then several fly by, but was confused. Did they not see that he was not standing there. He watched as a green haired boy came into the clearing, out of breath. He pulled the wire on instinct, just in time.

Kunai got his arm, and he went to the ground. Naruto looked from the trees as the boy held the wound, getting up. He stopped the other traps from going off, that kid was being attacked! Naruto had no choice, and sprung into action. He dashed from tree he was standing in, and saw the bandits.

He formed five clones, and pointed at the group of deviants. "Go, go, go!" The clones jumped out, catching some of the bandits off guard, the real Naruto landed on the ground next to the boy. "Hey, don't worry I'm getting ya outta here!" He reached down, picking the other youthful male up.

Naruto looked to see his clones getting pushed back, so without a hand sign, he formed several more. "Keep them busy!" The clones nodded, and charged at the bandits to help support the others. The blonde ninja smirked, not according to plan, but if he could just get this other youth to safety he could...

**Shhhheerrr! **

Naruto saw a kunai heading right for them, it was with explosive tags attached. He moved as fast as possible, but felt the green haired boy go into his pouch. Almost professionally taking out a kunai, and meeting the explosive one before it could hit them.

"Thanks!" Naruto said to the boy on his back, the boy just narrowed his eye at him. He figured it out quick when he felt the last clone he had get destroyed. "Oh, yeah right...them." He said, and felt the presence of another kunai whip past him.

He turned, starting to dash, he bullet through the bushes in front of him. Making sure to spread his body out enough, so the extra cargo would not get hit. He reached behind him, and held the boy by his buttocks. Trying to keep the person on his back as he started to dash faster, and faster. "Holy shit...slow down!" He heard the boy say, Naruto came out of the bush.

No sooner then he did, he found the trail, and power-slid to angle his body to run straight on it. Dust kicked up as he tried to get his forward momentum towards his selected angle. He was not slowing down, not at all. If his clones had been easily taken out then he needed to rethink a plan quick.

Besides, he could not just drop a wounded person in a battle, that would make the bandits have a major advantage if they decided to go for him. Naruto was not going to let an innocent die. He jumped into the trees, pushing off with his right foot. Making them soar above them for just a moment.

Naruto saw the stream, and decided to dash towards it. The sun was setting to it's highest point of that day. He dropped down, hitting the tallest points he could on the trees, trying to stay out of sight. He felt the boy's arms clench around his throat, choking him slightly.

He sent a chakra pulse out, finding they were just right below. His enhanced hearing allowed for the split second dodge, enough to dodge a barrage upward thrown kunai. He jumped off the tree, "hang on!" He yelled.

He front flipped, gaining distance with the jump. He landed at his camp, Naruto frowned when he saw the fish charred black. His other clones must have dispersed when he sent out the chakra pulse, he still had a lot to learn about the effects of the technique.

He dropped off the boy, roughly albeit, "Stay here." He ordered. The boy just flicked him off, his leg was cut from his wires, so he was not going anywhere fast. Naruto formed several clones, and had a little bit of the Kyuubi chakra sent into them to reinforce them.

"Lets

Go

Kick

Some

Bandit ass!"

They all shouted, jumping into the tree line, Naruto brought his tanto out in time deflect several kunai launched at him. He swiftly dashed to the side as his clones tackled the thrower, a girl. They proceeded to beat her down, "that's that one down."

He felt the wind change, and rolled forward in time to dodge a sword thrust from a rather large man. "Damn that was close," he got back up. He brought his tanto into a stance, and summoned more clones. The three other bandits came down, they were facing each other off.

Naruto stared at them, "you took our bounty you little shit...that thing...was gonna get off the hook for all the shit we did." he glared at them, sheathing his tanto. He began to have the Kyuubi give him a little bit, and dispersed the clones to gain back chakra.

"Yeah, you bastard, come on!" A even larger man shouted, taking out two large swords from his back. Naruto eyes turned a tint of dark blue, and then slowly bled to red. Naruto focused chakra into his palms, and slowly starting to form two red balls of energy.

"Hey wait isn't that Uzumaki Naruto, he's an even higher bounty...lets bag'em!" He heard the bandits talking, the young blonde only drew one conclusion. They were working for Akatsuki, and that the boy they were chasing after may have been leverage to get one of his kind to show.

The bandits charged at Naruto, the large one came first. He brought his swords up, "I'll take those arms right off you!" the young blonde was not amused, he just slammed the two red balls into the man's stomach. He pushed forward, and shouted, **"Red Rasangan!" **The man shouted as he got blown back

He smashed through several trees, "another down, these guys are weak." Naruto muttered out, keeping track of the other two with rapid chakra pulses. He then heard a voice inside of his head, and slowly began to close his eyes as time seemed to stop.

"_**Do not get cocky..." **_

Naruto eyes snapped back open, side stepped a thrust from a katana. It cut into the flak jacket, but the skilled blonde grabbed the tanto from behind him, and slammed it on the brittle back end. The man holding the blade, Hikai, was stunned to see his fine blade snapped.

"That bastard br-arggh!" He started, only to feel something round hit his stomach. He looked down, and saw another red ball like the one that hit Jigoku inside his stomach. He went spiraling backwards, he only stopped when he hit branch. Which made Naruto cringe, as it went through the man's body.

"_**Another one bites the dust...good job, be careful. That last one has strong charka." **_

"_Leave the training wheels off Kyubi, I got this."_

"_**Yes, I know, but I still die if you do...so I'll stimulate your brain slightly." **_

"_Hot wind, something's coming." _

"_**Look out he's wind nature'd"**_

Naruto barely dodged a wind slice from the arm of the leader, Sazu. He was pissed, no livid. He was livid over the desolation of his gang. He charged at Naruto, _**"don't meet his fist, he'll cut you open!" **_

Naruto barely had time to dodge, the punch he was intending to catch sliced through a tree, knocking it over. "Shit, that was close." he felt the man coming back towards him, his natural chakra senses sensing him due to the large signature he was making.

Naruto sidestep him, attempt to meet his fist with his tanto. Hoping it'd slice through the wind, and cut his hand. The boy was stunned only to hear **"clang!" **coming over the man's hand. He saw the tarnished tanned brown skin turn gray.

"_**A blood line limit, things got interesting." **_

"_Shit, this guy is matching me, send me more chakra out here!"_

"_**Relax kit, try to hold off, he can't maintain that jutsu for long." **_

"_Says you!"_

Naruto clashed with him one more time, before jumping back, and blocking a wind slash with his chakra fueled saber. "Your good brat, how about we ignore the fact you killed two of my guys, and join up with me. You can make good money, just go get that boy from your camp." Naruto shook his head, spitting at the man.

"You think I'd lower myself to your level, for money, I'm not listening to this. Bring it!" The blonde warrior shouted, the man nodded, charging. Naruto managed to block the man's sharpened fist with his own blade, but felt the metal struggle.

Naruto launched a front kick into the man's gut, pushing him back, and charged at him one more time. This time adding the nine tails chakra into the saber. **"Wind style air bullets!" **Naruto felt the massive rush of wind hit, but he planted himself down with charka.

He slowly reached down behind himself, sheathing the tanto. But, kept his hand held on it. He focused more, and more chakra onto it. Before, he brought it out, slinging it in front of him. The red energy came off, colliding with the man.

The man was taken aback by the strike, he did not have time to react to Naruto. When the boy sent the ball of energy into his chest, he screamed aloud as he blown back into a tree. Naruto collapsed to one knee, tired, and feeling drained as the nine tails chakra left his body.

He formed some clones, "tie them up, I need to get back to the other guy we found." The clones nodded.

_**A short walk later. **_

The green haired boy was trying to prop himself up on a log. His leg had been cut with the wire, so did his side, near his chest, and his arm. His arm however was the one with the deep cut. He tried straightening up, but could not do so at the moment.

He heard footsteps coming, silently cursing under his breath, he watchd as the figure came around the tree. It was the blonde guy from before, "so what are you doing out here, and why are these guys chasing you."


End file.
